Aevum
by klausethemouse
Summary: A new evil has arrived in Neverland. Tinkerbell has lost her power; therefore, the island is starting to wane, which means that everything is beginning to age, including the boys. Peter searches for the only human that can save their magic, Wendy. But what he finds changes his plans, and now it's up to Wendy's granddaughter to walk in her footsteps and save Neverland.
1. Prologue

_**This is a work in progress. I'm not quite sure if it's going in a very interesting direction. Feedback would be appreciated please. Also I have changed the Lost Boys names to fit a more modern telling of the story, as well as some of the main characters now have full names other than the ones previously known. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy :]**_

_**Prologue**_

The stars glittered in the dark, indigo sky. A boy fell from the clouds, ebbing closer to the tops of brick buildings and suddenly swooped back above the horizon of the city line. He hooted, passing the familiar colossal clock face of the London tower.

A breeze ruffled his hair into his eyes, a faint spark hidden behind their emerald sheen. He was almost to his destination. _How happy she would be to see him_, he thought. He did miss Wendy and the boys.

He approached the home of his friends, but paused. _What if they didn't believe anymore? _He scoffed. _That's a silly thought. Of course, they still believed. _

Pan descended to the sill of the window, and peered through the panes into the room. There was only one bed, where there once were three. The walls were painted a pale yellow; the decorations were that of a vintage sort. There were porcelain dolls in the cabinet, elaborately decorated embroidery, and antiques of highest value.

None of this meant anything to him. The only thing that interested him most was that no one was here. And there was no sign of them anywhere.

He hesitated before opening the window. His foot touched the floor and he slowly waltzed into the room searching for anything that would let him know of their whereabouts. Pan found a picture, sitting on the bedside table.

Gently he picked it up and examined it. An older woman was embracing a little girl with curly auburn hair, their eyes the same shade of cerulean blue and slight dimple in the left cheek. He couldn't mistake that smile, the smile that flushed his cheeks and urged his mind to grow up.

Peter swallowed and softly touched the picture. "Wendy, where did you go?"

The sound of footsteps resounded in the hallway, bringing him back. He placed the picture where he found it and raced for the window, closing the pane doors behind him. Pan hid against the wall, curiously listening to find information.

The door opened to middle-aged woman, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She walked over to the picture he had just sat down. "Mother, what am I going to do? Lydia is all grown up now. She's becoming a woman already." She sniffed and sat on the bed. "It was just yesterday that you were telling her made-up stories of your adventures in Neverland. She always loved those tales. Sometimes I wish that she wouldn't grow up. That she would be like your beloved Peter Pan and be young forever. But I know that's a cruel fate; to never fall in love and marry."

Peter glanced around the brick ledge to see the woman. She wasn't Wendy either. And if what he heard was right, then that meant Wendy was gone. She had a family, and had grown up without him.

He felt his heart contract as it sank in. Peter's one hope of restoring the island vanished. What was he going to do now? His friends were gone, and they were the only ones that could help.

"She's off to college, mother. Lydia is chasing her own dream—" she breathed. Then she began to cry again, setting aside the picture and clutching her face with her hands.

The blonde haired boy slumped down the wall, sitting on the ledge of the window. He pondered for a moment. Then a thought crossed his mind._ What if I find Lydia? What if she has enough belief to help me fix Neverland? _He would have to search for her, at some place called 'college'. "What in the world is that? And where is that?"

Pan stared off into the horizon, watching the two sister stars glimmer. The right star was shining brighter, calling his name, reminding him of the reason he was here. The corners of his mouth lightly wrinkled when he smiled. He had a new plan.

"Dearest Wendy," he smiled mournfully, a single tear trickled down his cheek. _I thought I was going to see you, again. I'm sorry it took so long to come back for you. _He wiped the tear from his face, kicking off the wall and jetting through the air. "Lydia…Pan is coming for you."


	2. Chapter 1 : Hello, Lovely

_**This is the first chapter. I think there needs to be more details, but for now this will do. Please review and enjoy!**_

**Chapter 1 : Hello, Lovely**

The residential dormitories were vast, one could easily get lost here. Her auburn hair fanned around her, as she turned toward the hall indicated with the letter H. "This place is—"

Lydia was pushed into the wall, jarring her arm. She glanced up to see a tall raven haired girl smirking as she strode down the hall. "Lovely." She straightened herself and continued through the lobby until she found the room.

The door slightly creaked when she opened it, walking to a brightly lit room, the curtains pulled back from the window. The room was humble, studious and clean. She closed the door behind her, noticing that there were two beds.

_I'd rather not share this room with anyone_. There didn't seem to be any inkling of another person living here. The thought comforted her and she meandered to the bed, setting her trunk on the floor next to it.

She spent the rest of the day reading, and strangely fell asleep on the window seat. It was difficult for her to fall asleep, and it was a nice reprieve after a long day of traveling and unpacking. When she awoke she let her map guide her to the cafeteria where they were serving a late dinner for the students.

Lydia ate slowly and apart from the other students. After all, she wasn't fond of making friends at this school. It wasn't what she had come here to do. She made note of the orientation time for the following day and cleared her plate.

After a refreshing shower, she wrapped her hair up and waltzed in to her bedroom. She was ready for bed, and ready to start her new day at this school. But all she could do was stare at the ceiling.

There was darkness in her room, save for the faint light of the stars peering through her window. Like every other night she spent in this place, Lydia could not drift off into a healthy sleep. Thoughts of her mother and grandmother shifted into her memory. One in particular kept circulating through her mind, making her think that this was a very important one. A memory that she should pay closer attention to, and yet she didn't know how to decipher what its repetition meant.

It was the eve of her eighteenth birthday and as usual her family held a huge social party. Her family and friends were in suits and quaint dresses for the occasion. Even she was dressed in a simple scarlet dress with faint white lace accents and pearls, her curly chestnut hair cascading down her back and a crystalline flower above her right ear.

Her brother, Ryder, had come home for her birthday from Cambridge, taking a few days' vacation as well. How he loved his sister. A single rap on the door, and Lydia sprinted to open it with pure excitement on her face. Ryder embraced Lydia and swung her around, careful as to not injure her in the process.

"Ryder, I'm so happy you came to spend the weekend with me," Lydia smiled radiantly, kissing her brother on the cheek. "For a while there, I thought you weren't coming."

He sneered as he pulled away from her. "Now, why would I do that? Such little faith you have in me, little sister."

"I just know how important your studies are." Lydia gestured for him to sit next to her on the loveseat.

"Not as important as you." He plopped down next to her and put his arm on the back of the sofa. "I only have one of you. I'd rather not botch that idea, you know?"

"Ha, you are so funny." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Well, either way, I'm just glad that I'm not the only one in the house who has to listen to Grandma Wendy's stories. She tells the same one each time. I can practically tell you every word."

"Oh come on, Grandma's stories aren't that bad." Ryder wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "She just misses being young and I'm sure she'd rather you didn't have to grow up. Today is probably really difficult and sweet for her, so I'd cut her some slack. Especially since we only have a few more months with her."

Lydia looked down at her hands. It was true. Her grandmother was aging faster than the doctor had predicted. She did love her grandmother, though, almost more than she loved her brother.

They sat and talked a little more before joining the party down stairs. It was a great turn out, one night to definitely remember. After everyone had left and gone to bed, Lydia went downstairs to have some water.

She found Wendy sitting in her favorite chair, gazing out into the night with a ghost of a smile on her face. Lydia approached her grandmother and hugged her before she sat on the floor by her feet.

"Grandma, why do you always stare up at those two stars?" Lydia rested her head against her grandmother's knee.

Wendy stroked her granddaughter's hair and patted her lightly on the head. "I'm waiting for someone, love."

"Who are you waiting for? Peter Pan?" She giggled.

"Of course, I am Lydia. He promised he'd come back for me. I've been waiting so long. I'm starting to fear that he won't ever visit me."

"Oh, Grandma, he will. And if he doesn't, I'll be sure to tell him how mean he was." Lydia smiled up at her grandmother. "I promise."

"Thank you, dear. That would be grand." Wendy smiled back at Lydia, and returned to staring at the brightest star on the right.

A faint knock resounded in the room as if a branch had been blown into the window. Lydia jumped, sitting up in bed, and stared towards the window. A light breeze swayed the tree next to her window. _So it was the tree, then._

Lydia relaxed and laid back down, pulling the sheets around her close. She closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep, but yet again her mind would not allow her_. How am I ever supposed to go to sleep? This isn't fair._

Then the sound happened again, this time louder. She didn't move this time, knowing that the wind was the cause. She shifted her position in bed, staring up at the ceiling. A third knock this time, it was almost becoming a rhythm and started to lull her to sleep.

She was getting closer to a comfortable abyss of sleep when the window panes started to rattle. This didn't bother her until the doors of the window flew open and slammed against the wall, jolting her upright.

Lydia screamed, covering her mouth with her hands to stifle it. This was getting to be too orthodox, too frightening. She had the mind to get up and close the window doors, but before she even pulled the covers from her body, a shadow cast upon the floor in front of the frame.

Slowly, a male figure swooped into the room and landed between the beds. He turned to her, a smile playing on his lips. "Hello, lovely."


	3. Chapter 2 : The Island

_**I hope this is bearable so far. **_

**Chapter 2 : The Island**

"Who are you?!" Lydia scrambled against the wall, terror seeping through her body.

The figure gradually walked closer to see her, curiosity clear in his eyes. The glint of the moon shone on his pale hair, framing his face with light. She couldn't see any features of his face, though, which frightened her more. _What if he doesn't have one?_

He knelt down beside the bed and crossed his arms. "You look an awful lot like her." He laughed and nodded his head. "Your hair is different. It's so…red."

She swallowed and spoke. "Who are you? What do…you want?"

"I'm Peter Pan, of course." He leaned on the bed. "I'm surprised she never told you about me."

Lydia shivered. _Could this really be him? _ "But you aren't real. They were just stories to help me sleep." She shook her head and buried her face in her hands. "You aren't really here."

Peter frowned. "I'm really here, Lydia. Are you scared of me?"

"You're a liar. Leave me alone." She tried to inch further into the wall until her shoulders started to hurt her. The sheets were a feeble attempt to shield her from the boy.

"You know I'm real. You know I'm right here." He reached a hand out to touch her arm. "Why is it so hard to believe me?"

Lydia tried to pull her arm from him and hit the wall, wincing in pain. She clutched her arm, quickly examining it for any bruises. Peter grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, staring her in the eyes.

"As you can see, I'm very real. So quit the acting, because you're coming with me," he sneered. She attempted to struggle from his hold, but he proved to be stronger and wrapped her up in both of his arms. "And I'd quit struggling too. You'll see that it's best."

She didn't have time to be puzzled about what he said because he held tight to her and leapt for the window. Lydia clutched onto his shirt as they were lifted higher into the air. All of the brilliance of the night life in London greeted them warmly, making this charade almost bearable. When the clock face of Big Ben crept closer to them, she realized that Peter was making them fly.

Peter glanced down at Lydia, taking in the wonderment plastered on her face, her hair whipping around them. She was staring at the clock tower, slowly loosening her grip on him to reach out a hand to touch the clock. Her hand barely grazed the metal minute hand when she lost her hold on Peter and felt herself slip through his arm.

Lydia was plummeting farther towards the city scape, flailing about with utter fear. Peter shot down through the air with such speed that Lydia was only out of his grasp for a few seconds. He swooped under her, catching her in his arms like a valiant knight.

She started to cry, begging him to take her back home. "Please, Peter. I don't want to go to Neverland. That's where you're taking me right? Just take me back. I'll be such a bother."

"No," Peter held her tighter. "You are the only one that can help me. Wendy is gone—," he paused. "It's your responsibility."

"Why me? Why not my brother or my mother?" She buried her face in his shoulder, holding tightly to his collar.

Peter cleared his throat, "Your youth. You are young unlike the rest of your family. And that's where belief is adamant. There shouldn't be a problem in getting you to believe."

Lydia raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "How am I supposed to believe when I could hardly fathom that you were real?"

A demeanor that was hard to decipher, played on his face. He looked out to the sky and picked up his pace. The two sister stars were so close to them, as they veered right into a cluster of clouds.

The temperature changed in the air to that of almost suffocating and just when Lydia thought she'd die of the pressure, the weight lifted and a rigid breeze blew through her bones. She closed her eyes from the sudden cold, covering her face with her hands.

Peter cleared his throat. "You can open your eyes, Lydia. We're here."

Lydia opened her eyes to a shadowy island, where once was life, now resided decay. The water beneath her rolled in waves of dark and deadly secrets. The skull cave was visible from their height, and an eerie light illuminated from the dark crevices in the eye sockets.

"This is Neverland?" She glanced up at Pan, who stared intently off into the darkness of the island. "What…happened?"

He blinked and shifted his gaze to Lydia. "The island is dying."

…

The cabin swayed with the swelling waves of the sea, the darkness of the island peeked in and out of the cabin's windows. The black water of the ocean lapped on the shore, smearing murky lines in the sand and retreating back into the marine.

Quick footsteps crashed through the stairs in the hallway, and the large oak door swung open, revealing a stout man with a graying beard. He cautiously stepped into the room and removed his hat from his head.

"Cap'n," the older gentleman approached his master's chair, panting and slightly shaking. He cleared his throat and wrung his hat between both his hands. "Pan seems to have returned."

The captain glanced up at his lieutenant. "And is he alone?" the deep voice of the captain startled the man, causing him to drop his cap. He fumbled to pick it off the deck and brushed it off before placing the cap back on his balding head.

"I believe…that…Wendy has returned, Cap'n."

Alistair rose from his chair, turning to gaze outside the windows. In the distance, he could faintly make out the figure of Pan holding a woman drifting closer to the island itself. He placed his hand on the window pane and closed his cerulean eyes. "Mr. Smee, I believe it's time."

"Time for what, sire?" Mr. Smee stepped closer to the captain's desk, curiosity seeping from his body.

The captain opened eyes and turned to Smee, a smile kissed his lips. He gestured for the lieutenant to come closer to his desk. Once Mr. Smee was directly in front of him, Alistair continued. "Why, for magic to return, of course. Let's see how all this will play out for us."


	4. Chapter 3 : A Promise

_**Continuation. I hope it's still interesting. The plot line will pick up from here on.**_

**Chapter 3 : A Promise**

"Pan, what do you mean the island is dying?" Lydia stared wide-eyed at her captor, feeling a tinge of fear. "Grandma said that the island would never die, that it was so beautiful and alive."

Peter grimaced at the mention of Wendy, making him remember her laugh. "I've noticed that over time, everyone began to lose their power. One by one, something stole their magic and stripped them of their immortality. Even poor Tink—."

"Wait..You mean Tinkerbell doesn't have magic anymore?"

"She lost her magic a few days ago. The boys and I searched everywhere for her. When we did, she was lying under a willow tree, crying and in the form of a human. No wings. No magic. Just normal, like my lost boys. I searched the island. I wanted to see if it was happening to just the fairies. And it wasn't. The mermaids were slowly losing their powers as well. Some of them had already disappeared. Others were found dead in the cove, no fins, but legs. They didn't know how to survive on land. There are still some alive. The boys are taking care of them. Even the remaining fairies are in hiding. I felt powerless. I didn't know what could have caused Neverland to be this way. That's when I realized that this was becoming more than something I could handle alone. I needed the most powerful magic of all: belief."

"But you might have a slight problem with that one," Lydia glanced to the island below them, noticing that they were descending. "I don't exactly believe, remember?"

"That can be changed." Pan tightened his hold on her body and dropped from the air. The tree line rushed towards them, causing Lydia to scream and silently pray that this boy wouldn't be the death of her. Then they stopped abruptly, and hovered a few moments before the air ceased to swirl around them and landed on the ground.

"I'm sorry, but are you trying to kill me? And what do you mean 'That can be changed'? I haven't exactly been very cooperative thus far, you know." She released her arms from his neck and brushed the hair from her face. "Can you put me down now?"

She was proving to be more than he had bargained for. "Well, if you insist," he said and released her on the forest floor. He stepped over her and started walking. "Now, come on. My boys are waiting for me. I can't keep babysitting when I have an island to save."

Lydia glared up at him, as she slowly stood up, brushing the dried leaves from her dress. "Pardon me for being such a nuisance, but I wasn't the one who wanted to be whisked away in the middle of the night to come to this desolate place. I believe the blame is all on you, Pan."

The boy stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face her. The look on his face was one of sadness and disappointment. "You know, I thought that as Wendy's granddaughter you'd at least have the same sense of justice and duty and maybe even pleasantry, but I was wrong. You are nothing but a girl stuck in her own vanity."

With that he turned back around and continued his trek through the forest, not glancing back once to see if she was following.

"But I am not vain…," Lydia whined as she lightly jogged to catch up with him. _I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to be responsible for someone else, let alone an entire island. _That's when she noticed it. Wendy had told her Pan was a boy of fifteen years, young and immature. But he was far from that. He didn't have the demeanor of a child, and the closer she inspected him, she realized he didn't look like a boy either. He was aging. Peter was getting older, and his mind was growing up.

That's when the gravity of the situation hit her hard in the chest. _The magic really is fading, and because the magic is fading, everything is starting to age. There is no more immortality._ "So much for never growing up."

She heard a rustling in the bushes near her and jumped away from them. Lydia started walking faster, trying to catch up with Peter, when a vine wrapped itself around her wrist and tugged her. She tried to loosen its grip and another vine caught her ankle, lifting her off the ground. "Peter!"

Pan kept walking, shaking his head. "Let me guess, I might have hurt your feelings, _Princess_?"

"Peter, please?!" She shrilled, struggling with the large vines as they tightened their grip. "Help me!"

He finally glanced back at her realizing that she was no longer on the path, but in the clutches of a Venus fly trap. _Of course. At least she finally has something in common with her grandmother. Getting into trouble. _"Charming."

Pan jetted to her and brought his knife from his belt, slashing at the vines while dodging the other surrounding ones trying to clasp them to him. "It's funny how even when the magic is fading, these creatures seem to thrive very well, I might add."

"I don't care about how interesting they are, I just want to get down!" Lydia finally released one arm and started working on the other vines latched to her body. Pan reached the girl, swiftly slicing through her bondage and catching her over his shoulder. He took off farther into the forest, ditching the fly trap.

There was still a vine connected to her ankle, so Lydia started kicking her legs and threw Pan off balance, causing them to narrowly dodge a pine tree. Her leg was finally freed, but they were yanked to the forest floor in a painful thud. "Ouch!"

She carefully raised her head, noticing that she had landed on top of Peter, inches away from her face. His chest was broad, his lips looked soft. She wanted to touch his lips when she noticed that he seemed to be knocked out, his eyes were closed and a faint line of blood seeped from his temple. _Oh, no. I've killed him! What am I going to do?_

"Pan? Are you alright?" She warily lifted her body off his, and touched his neck to check for a pulse. _I don't know how to do this. This is how they show it on television right?_ There was no answer. She placed her head on his chest to listen for his heart, but with her fast heartbeat in her ears, she couldn't pick up his own. Lydia sat up and watched him. _His face, his shoulders. He is no boy, he's a man. _She moved her face closer to inspect him, when he breathed in sharply and his eyes opened, sitting up and slamming his forehead against Lydia's.

"Ow! Dear god, woman! You just keep making things worse!" He pressed his fingers against his temple and felt the liquid oozing from his head. Pan looked up at Lydia, who was clutching her face, rubbing her forehead. She had tears trickling down her cheeks. She looked pitiful, which made him feel his heart wrench a little. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Lydia curled her legs up to her chest. "I just want to go home, Peter." She laid her forehead on her knees and continued to cry.

"I'm sorry, Lydia. But I can't do that." Pan walked to her and kneeled beside her. He embraced her, placing her head on his shoulder and held her tight. Then he said something that he would soon learn to regret. "I promise, once the magic has returned, I'll take you back home and never return."


End file.
